Feeling extreme loneliness can increase an older
person's chances of premature death by 14 percent, according to research by John Cacioppo,
professor of psychology at the University of Chicago.

Cacioppo and his colleagues' work
shows that the impact of loneliness on premature death is nearly as strong as the impact of
disadvantaged socioeconomic status, which they found increases the chances of dying early by 19
percent. A 2010 meta-analysis showed that loneliness has twice the impact on early death as does
obesity, he said.

Cacioppo, the Tiffany Margaret Blake Distinguished Service Professor
in Psychology at the University, joined other scholars at a seminar on "The Science of Resilient
Aging" Feb. 16 at the American Association for the Advancement of Science Annual meeting in
Chicago.

The researchers looked at dramatic differences in the rate of decline in
physical and mental health as people age. Cacioppo and colleagues have examined the role of
satisfying relationships on older people to develop their resilience, the ability to bounce back
after adversity and grow from stresses in life.

The consequences to health are dramatic,
as feeling isolated from others can disrupt sleep, elevate blood pressure, increase morning
rises in the stress hormone cortisol, alter gene expression in immune cells, and increase
depression and lower overall subjective well-being, Cacioppo pointed out in a talk, "Rewarding
Social Connections Promote Successful Aging."

University of Chicago psychologist John Cacioppo will speak at a seminar on "The Science of Resilient Aging" at the 2014 annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

(Photo Credit: Robert Kozloff/University of Chicago)

Cacioppo, one of the nation's leading
experts on loneliness, said older people can avoid the consequences of loneliness by staying in
touch with former co-workers, taking part in family traditions, and sharing good times with
family and friends – all of which gives older adults a chance to connect others about whom they
care and who care about them.

"Retiring to Florida to live in a warmer climate among
strangers isn't necessarily a good idea if it means you are disconnected from the people who
mean the most to you," said Cacioppo. Population changes make understanding the role of
loneliness and health all the more important, he explained.

"We are experiencing a silver
tsunami demographically. The baby boomers are reaching retirement age. Each day between 2011 and
2030, an average of 10,000 people will turn 65," he said. "People have to think about how to
protect themselves from depression, low subjective well-being and early mortality."

Although some people are happy to be alone, most people thrive from social situations in
which they provide mutual support and develop strong rapport. Evolution encouraged people to
work together to survive and accordingly most people enjoy companionship over being alone.

Research by Cacioppo and his colleagues has identified three core dimensions to healthy
relationships —intimate connectedness, which comes from having someone in your life you feel
affirms who you are; relational connectedness, which comes from having face-to-face contacts
that are mutually rewarding; and collective connectedness, which comes from feeling that you're
part of a group or collective beyond individual existence.

It is not solitude or
physical isolation itself, but rather the subjective sense of isolation that Cacioppo's work
shows to be so profoundly disruptive. Older people living alone are not necessary lonely if they
remain socially engaged and enjoy the company of those around them. Some aspects of aging, such
as blindness and loss of hearing, however, place people at a special risk for becoming isolated
and lonely, he said. —William Harms